Rachel's POV
I sat in the dark scrolling through social media, a habit I had taken up while on downtime from training with the team. Today in particular happened to be a day off leading into more before a part at the end of the week. It wasn't an important one, but one to celebrate the end of summer. Bonus points for it not being thrown by Tony Stark. No, this was all Steve Rogers' idea. Surprising right? Nothing fancy, but you were allowed to dress up if you wanted. I had already picked up my outfit for the occasion; a light pink, polka dotted dress. It was strapless and the hem stopped right above my knees.
I hoped to impress my crush on that night. I wanted to capture the attention of Wanda Maximoff. I hadn't expected how I would end up doing it.
Under normal circumstances, I'd be on my phone with lights on, but in this case, it happened to be well past midnight; everyone had turned in for the night. Except me. I am a night owl and sometimes don't go to bed until after 1 a.m. I kept scrolling, falling deeper into a rabbit hole, liking pictures or statuses, when something caught my eye. My finger paused, hovering over the tagged post of one of my friends:
"Liam Hanover was tagged in a status post. Engaged to Carly Ibsen.'
I blinked. I scanned over it a few more time before reading all of the congratulatory comments. Liam, my ex, was engaged. He hadn't even texted or called to give me the good news…or that he had even been dating anyone. It didn't bother me that he was now engaged, but it stirred a pent-up loneliness I had shoved away far in my mind.
No, I had been over him for years. I only thought I'd be the one who would marry first. The status change brought out a new sadness in my heart. I no longer thought I'd get married. Instead what crossed my mind was I thought I'd be forever alone.
"No. I'm all by myself," I whispered in the dark. I logged out and put my phone on charge after setting an alarm for 7 a.m. Tears wells up, spilling over onto my cheeks as I buried myself beneath the covers.
The loud noise of my alarm woke me. I sprang up out of bed and changed into workout clothes. I pulled my long, chocolate brown hair into a ponytail and – as quietly as I could – left the compound for a run. One factor I didn't account for was Natasha waiting for me at the front door; she was also wearing workout clothes, perhaps anticipating for me to come down the stairs this morning.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. Oh, shit. How can she know already? I thought. I pretended I didn't know what she was referring to.
"What do you mean? I don't…have anything to talk about," I said. I paused when she held up the status post from last night on her phone.
"How do you do that?" I asked, motioning for us to head outside.
"I followed him after you two started dating. For precautionary measures of course. What I don't get is why you haven't gotten over him," she replied.
"I am over him. That's not why I'm upset. I feel like I'm going to be alone forever,"
"I don't believe that for a second. You'll find your special someone. There's still time,"
"Nat, I've been single for eight years. You managed to get a relationship with Bruce within two years. Steve is with Sharon and Bucky had the woman who he met at the movie theater. It's bad enough, I have to see Liam's engagement, plus all the pregnant former classmates from school. Not to mention my cousin who has also found out she's pregnant," I said.
"You know… Wanda's still single. I know you like her. Why not ask her out?" Nat suggested.
"For starters, I don't know that she likes women. Even if she does, I doubt she would be interested in me. Plus, I don't want to ask her out after my ex got engaged. I'm sure that will really turn her on. Like, 'hey, Wanda, my ex just got engaged and I'm feeling a little lonely. Want to go out?' Yeah, that will be so great," I snapped.
"Don't be grouchy. I'm only trying to help. If you don't want to be lonely anymore, then do something about it,"
"You don't think I've tried. Nothing has worked. Forget it. I'm going to get breakfast. Alone. Don't you dare say anything to Wanda, Nat. I mean it. I don't want her pity. It's the last thing I want from her," I said.
I stopped in the compound long enough to grab my keys and wallet. I left and spent the entire morning in a French café. I came back showered and picked up a favorite book to sit in the library with for a couple of hours. I'll give Natasha credit. She didn't say anything to anyone leaving me in peace. She left her plan for the party.
Saturday
I dreaded going to the party. Before, it had been about trying to impress Wanda, but now it was more I wanted to be with myself. My mind kept running back to the engagement post and I worried someone would see my pain. Wanda didn't need to be one of them. In the end, I decided to go in favor of Steve, who really wanted all of his friends to be in attendance. I forced back my thoughts and held my head high as I stepped out on the rooftop.
"Damn, I wish I could pull of polka dots as well as you," Natasha greeted me.
"Then I might have competition. I can't let you beat me at impressing W…everyone," I teased. Great. I still want Wanda to notice me despite of everything, I thought.
"Ah. I see. This is for Wanda. Are you sure you don't want to ask her out? You don't have to mention Liam. Just tell her how you feel about her. The worst she can do is say no,"
"No. I'm not feeling like myself. I guess I'm still reeling a little from the news. I think I'll get a drink, maybe dance it out," I said. She flashed me a thumbs up and left my side to find Bruce. I made my way to the bar and requested a run and coke to sip on. I watched the crowd, waiting on an upbeat song; I almost choked when I saw a familiar face. Liam.
"Fuck. What is he doing here?" I muttered when he walked my way. I turned around, shielding my face and hoping he wouldn't recognize me. Luck was not in my favor tonight.
"Rachel? Is that you?" Liam asked me. I swallowed, forcing a smile to face him.
"Liam. How have you been?" I said.
"Good. Great, actually. I heard you moved in with the Avengers. Who knew you had a hidden ability? What was it again?"
"Oh, you know. Animal magic. I've always been good with animals. I never would have expected to be able to call them into battle," I replied.
"Right. I got engaged to my roommate of all people. I guess things could happen like that. Let me bring her over here," Liam stated. Of course, she'd be here, I thought. I fought the rolling nausea as he brought her to the bar.
"Rachel, this is Carly. Carly, Rachel," Liam introduced us. Wonderful. I'm in Hell, I thought, shaking the woman's hand. At least things can't get worse.
"So, are you seeing anyone?" Liam asked. No, that's a silly thought. It appears things can get worse. Not only that, but they were about to continue.
Wanda's POV
I was mid-conversation with Carol, Bucky, Steve and Sam when Rachel walked in. The polka dot dress hugged her figure perfectly making it hard not to stare.
"Wanda, you're drooling. Why don't you go talk to her?" Sam said. I turned away and went to wipe my mouth, finding it dry.
"That's not funny. I don't want to interrupt their conversation. Besides she hadn't noticed me yet," I told him.
"Natasha is already headed back this way. Go talk to Rachel. Get her to notice you. If you want to be more than friends, you've got to ask her," Sam said.
"I'm too nervous. Maybe later. Anyways, she seems as if she's been in a bad mood the last couple of days,"
"If you talked to her, you might know the reason. Wanda, she's one of your best friends. There's no reason to be nervous. Even if you do have crush on Rachel," Natasha said.
"Do you know why she's been moping around the compound?" Bucky asked. Natasha nodded; her gaze locked on Rachel. The smile on her lips faded as she picked up on something else.
"What? What's wrong?" I asked. Nat quirked an eyebrow at my worried tone.
"Is there danger? You would be worried too if there was going to be an attack," She laughed, shaking her head.
"No. No danger. Unless you call Rachel talking to her ex dangerous. What makes matters worse is that he's engaged. Not to mention he's brought his new fiancée here and he's introducing them," She stated. We all turned to see it playing out, Rachel's body growing tense as it happened.
"Is that Liam? The one she dated a couple of years ago. Weren't they close? Oh my god. That's why she'd been mopey. She's lonely. Hey, Wanda, where are you going?" Bucky said.
"Don't worry. I've got an idea," I told him, floating closer to the three people by the bar. It might be a disastrous one, but it would inevitably bring Rachel and me closer together.
Rachel's POV
The doomed question. 'Are you seeing anyone?' Of course not. Instead, I'm watching Liam live out his happy life while I wallow in loneliness. I was about to answer when the feeling of soft skin draped over my shoulders. I turned my head to see Wanda standing beside me; my pulse quickened.
"Is she your girlfriend?" Liam asked.
"She's-,"
"Fiancée, actually. I'm Wanda Maximoff. It's nice to meet you…" Wanda interrupted me.
"Liam. This is Carly Ibsen, my fiancée," my ex said. I shot Wanda a look that said, 'what are you doing?' but she ignored it.
"Liam. Right. Rachel didn't mention you'd be in town,"
"I decided to stop in. I heard there would be a party. I've never seen the Avengers compound. It's funny. Rachel, you didn't mention you were engaged, much less dating anyone," Liam commented. Neither did you, I thought. I decided to play along with Wanda's plan.
"We wanted to keep things quiet. We can't have enemies kidnapping one of us in order to draw the other out," I said. I wrapped an arm around Wanda's waist, pulling her closer to my body.
"Oh. Well, you're both invited to the wedding. Maybe we can double date before then. The wedding is in a few months. It's an outdoor wedding in the mountains. Carly and I were thinking about heading down to the beach for a mini vacation in two weeks. Care to join us?" Liam said.
"Sure. We could have a little fun ourselves," Wanda answered. With that, she lifted my chin up to press her lips against mine. A shock went through me and I gasped, allowing her to slip her tongue inside my mouth. Warmth flooded my body all the way to my toes; I clutched Wanda closer, drinking her in. We broke apart when someone cleared their throat.
"Okay. We'll see you at Hatteras in two weeks. I'll send you where we're staying, so we can go out for dinner or hand out at the beach one day," Liam said. He moved Carly through the crowd away from us, letting me adjust to what had happened.
"Wanda. What was that? We're not actually engaged," I said.
"Sorry. You looked like you were in trouble. I thought I could try to get you out of it. Though, you're the one who pulled me closer with that kiss. You didn't have to play along. You could have told him the truth," she replied.
"Fair enough. Maybe we should keep this going until after the wedding. I hadn't expected him to invite us to the wedding or go on vacation. Unless you want to cancel,"
"I wouldn't mid some time off," she told me. She grinned before placing another kiss on my lips and walking away. I stood there stunned but enjoying the way she made me feel.
Two weeks Later
Wanda and I arrived at the house we rented for the week. We would be alone for two days before Liam and Carly joined us. Two days of not pretending, though I wished the relationship were real. Unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to do anything fun today because it was storming.
Instead, we unpacked and opted for a movie day inside the house. The freezing house. I wish I had brought a blanket, I thought.
"We can share if you want. I don't mind," Wanda offered. After the party, I'd been too nervous to be close to her. The warmth I felt from the kiss had kindled a fire I thought I wouldn't be able to control.
"Are you sure? I don't want to crowd you," I said.
"Get under here with me. I don't want you to freeze your ass off," I gave in snuggling close to her, relaxing immediately with the warmth. Instinct took over and I laid my head against her shoulder. She moved her arm pulling me into her body, my head now on her chest.
"Comfortable?" She asked. I nodded. Her hand rested on my leg, her fingertips meeting bare skin. Halfway into the marathon, I felt her hand move closer to my inner thigh, closer to my core. Electricity hummed between us, but I moved away to my original spot.
"Rachel, are you okay?" Wanda asked.
"I'm fine. I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I'm a little tired from the trip," I answered. I got up and went to my room before she could say anything; I closed and locked the door behind me, sliding to the floor. What did I get myself into?
The second day flashed past by us quickly; we did our own separate thing, not interacting with each other. You could say I avoided her, and you'd be right. The night before confused me. Did she fell something for me? Was that why she had tried to make a move on me? These questions invaded my mind and I found I wasn't able to be around her. I feared I wanted to do something about my own feelings. In fact, I had wanted to, but if she didn't return my feelings the rest of the week would be awkward. Today, we had no choice but to interact. I received a text from Liam asking us if we wanted to grab dinner.
I didn't want to cancel, so I had said 'We'd be delighted.' In addition, we both wanted to lounge at the pool until we had to get ready. My eyes constantly wandered to stare at her. Wanda had broken from her standard red to wear a deep purple bikini with a strapless top. Right now, she was sunbathing, lying on her stomach asleep. Meanwhile, I kept swimming, the water easing my nerves. I dove underwater, wetting my hair again and nearly jumped out of my skin when I came back up.
"Wanda, I didn't see you get in," I said.
"You were underwater. I just needed to cool off before I head upstairs. It's about four o'clock. We should prepare to go to dinner. I want to relax a bit before we leave," she told me.
"Okay. I'll be up in a little bit," Wanda left me alone at the pool and half an hour later, I went up myself. I entered our shared room, stunned to see her lying on the bed in only her underwear; the signature red had returned as a lacy thong and a bra that accentuated her breasts grabbing my attention. I didn't think anything of it heading to the bathroom for a shower. When I returned, I was surprised to find her still in her underwear.
"Are you going to change any time soon?" I asked.
"We still have a few hours. I hadn't planned on changing now. Why? Does this bother you?" she replied. My face flamed hot.
"No, I only thought you might be more comfortable with clothes on,"
"I do this all the time. I don't see what the big deal is. We're both women after all," Wanda said.
"I already said-," I gasped when she used her powers to pull me over to her. I landed with my body between her spread legs, my head against her chest. Wanda removed my hands from the towel wrapped around me, slowly unwrapping it. She pulled it from between us, tossing it to the floor. I shivered as the cool air hit my body, more when her fingers traced the outward curve of my breasts.
"Wanda…I don't…think…" I began, the moan I let out silencing my thoughts as she circled them around the areolas.
"Don't think. Relax. I know you want this. I know because I want it too," she said. He thumbs grazed over my nipples, the buds perking up at the touch.
"We don't have to pretend. Not anymore. I've liked you for a while. Let me play," Wanda confessed. One hand moved to cup my jaw, turning my head so she could cover my mouth with hers. I moaned into it as she pinched a nipple; she rolled it between her fingers, the sensation driving me wild.
"Let me play," she whispered, breaking the kiss. I nodded, kissing her again. She kneaded my breasts, pulling and pinching my nipples; wetness pooled at my center. One hand was kept playing with my breasts, while she moved the other between my legs, using her own to spread mine wider. Wanda rubbed my clit with her thumb, one finger slipping inside me.
"Fuck. Wanda, more please," I begged. She complied, adding another finger and pumping in and out of me. I didn't hold me back, moaning her name as the first orgasm hit, coating her fingers in slick, sticky cum. She shifted, laying back, coming between my legs. She licked a thick stripe up my pussy, my hips bucking in response. She continued eating me out until another wave hit and I came screaming her name. She came back up to kiss me, my hands unhooking her bra. I took it off, moving to slide off the thong, it too being discarded on the floor.
"My turn," I told her. I flipped Wanda over prepared to pleasure her in all the ways I could. Finished having our intimate afternoon, we lay beside each other, our sweaty bodies tangled together.
"We should cancel the double date. Order in and do this again," Wanda said. She stroked my arm, sending goosebumps all over my skin.
"Or we could go and come back to do it again. Besides it's only one night. We have the rest of the week to have more fun doing this," I commented. She smiled, leaning in to kiss me.
"One night. Then you're all mine,"
Let's just say we became official at the end of the week.
The Wedding
By the time Liam's wedding came around, Wanda and I were officially engaged; no pretending necessary. We realized we had been in love a month after the events of the beach. This came as no surprise to our friends who had tried to push us together in the beginning. Sitting with her at this wedding while waiting for a wedding our own was the best moment ever. I held her hand as we both cried at the love shared between Liam and Carly, who would undoubtedly be happy for the rest of their lives. My heart brimmed with happiness while they shared their vows.
I sat in Wanda's lap at the reception watching the first dance. Halfway through, we shared a kiss that was as magical as the first. I had met my soulmate and dreamed of the day she would become my wife. We danced having a good time, before returning home for a celebration with our friends. My loneliness had faded away, leaving with the most perfect woman I was meant to be with for the rest of my life.